


Pace Yourself

by ScribbleWriting65



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Nightmares, Past Torture, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:49:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27073012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScribbleWriting65/pseuds/ScribbleWriting65
Summary: No matter how fast you go, memories will still be with you. But you don't have to face them alone.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	1. Can't Outrun Memories

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! Here's my latest work, focusing on Sonic within Super Smash Bros.! The Blue Blur's been through a lot in his adventures, and I thought it'd be interesting to see how he'd deal with all he's been through. Let me know what you think in the comments, and I hope you enjoy!

Even if he was the Fastest Thing Alive, Sonic still found himself tired from time to time.

Today was another slow start for him, the night before having been fitful with constant turns. The Blue Blur could feel his coffee slowly energize him, but still prayed to whatever gods were out there that no one would notice the bags under his eyes; or how hard it was for him to focus. If having no fights for himself today was a blessing, he looked at it like a prank, a sort of ‘ _consider yourself lucky_ ’ from on high.

The hyperactive hedgehog managed to give his usual greetings to other Smashers as they passed, some having slightly suspicious looks on their faces. He reassured them with a small nod and smile, using the excuse of a large breakfast to justify his less than chatty demeanor. Sonic’s quieter nature carried throughout the morning as he walked around, trying to find something to busy himself with.

He eventually settled on playing some games with the Kid Smashers, teaming up with a Luma against Ness and Lucas in a game of Go Fish. The Blue Blur was caught off guard when Ness showed up wearing his black clothes.

“What’s with the different outfit, bud?” He asked.  
“Oh, my other clothes are in the laundry.” Ness shrugged.  
“Gotcha. Like the little guy on your shirt.”

Ness simply smiled, allowing Sonic to be grateful that the calm atmosphere stayed, filling him with both peace and a nagging dread at the back of his mind. Even with his lack of focus, Sonic and the Luma managed to claim victory from their opponents, who goodheartedly demanded a rematch.

Polari, Rosalina’s advisor, stepped in the Luma’s place, giving Sonic a subtle look over as they played. The hedgehog prayed that the ink-black star couldn’t see his exhaustion, struggling to find what his partner was thinking with only his blue eyes to go off of. The games eventually ended, just in time for lunch to the delight of everyone’s grumbling stomachs.

The Smashers settled outside for a grill cookout, hosted by the Late Challenger crew with help from the Pokemon Party. Sonic reveled in his classic chili dogs but was also delighted by the barbecue ribs that Terry made. The whole scene carried a deep sense of nostalgia for him, being fully realized as him remembering the birthday party his friends threw for him…

Just before the Time Eater attacked.

“Hey, Sonic!”

Mega Man’s voice snapped Sonic out of his stupor, praying that the Blue Bomber didn’t see his face of terror before he switched to curiosity, though soft concern on the hero’s face told the hedgehog that he did. Sonic quickly finished up his last rib before giving his full attention.

“What’s up, Blue Man?”  
“Some of the Kid Smashers and Old Schoolers were gonna play some baseball, wanna play with us?”  
“Sure, thing. Be right there.”

Mega Man gave a small smile as he left, leaving Sonic to catch a deep breath. He quickly shook his head, stretching to get himself into the groove as he joined the game. The Blue Blur gave quick handshakes and fist bumps to Pac Man and Mr. Game and Watch as he passed by. The game quickly got underway, allowing Sonic to focus on the present, away from his vision.

The game itself wasn’t too eventful, even if it was evenly matched. The Kid Smashers had the edge in adaptability, while Sonic and the Old Schoolers had more power and focus. The Blue Blur himself was happy the others knew about his time with Mario at the Olympics, giving him an excuse of purposely holding back instead of having to tell them about the rough day so far.

The heat bore down on Sonic further, tiring him out even faster as he wiped the sweat from his brow before stepping up to bat. Ness wound up his pitch, smirking as he threw the ball with extra propulsion by engulfing it in PK Fire. Sonic quickly buried sudden nerves upon seeing geometric shapes surround the ball, hitting it with all his might. The bat connected, sending the ball hurtling back to Ness and hitting him square in the eye.

“Ness!” The others gasped as he fell to his knees.  
Sonic felt his hands start to slowly shake as he dropped the bat, unable to move as Lucas and Popo helped Ness off the ground.  
“Are you okay?”  
“Y-yeah, I’m fine.”

Ness looked up to Sonic to reassure him, only to stop at the hedgehog’s body language and face.

Sonic’s pupils were smaller than coins, his hands clamming up and rapidly shaking as he took in Ness’ grimace and black eye. The boy’s face and clothes flashed Sonic back to the Resistance War, remembering a familiar jackal with one black-covered eye and powers hued in crimson red. His heart began to pound harder, the day’s heat feeling like the inferno that consumed Sunset City.

“Sonic?”

The vision fought with reality for control of Sonic’s mind, leaving the Blue Blur confused as real life ultimately won. The victory didn’t last long, Sonic wiping his eyes to see Ness and the others look at him with deep concern.

All Sonic could do was run, a dark and sinister laughter following him no matter how fast he went, and bolt into his room, locking the door.


	2. All Alone

Infinite stood over him again, floating one of his cubes around like a toy as he taunted a bound Sonic.

“So much for the Fastest Thing Alive.” The villain chuckled, “You call yourself a hero, yet you let others follow you to death.”  
“My friends are gonna stop you.” The hedgehog scowled, “And when they do, I’ll be there to kick your butt!”  
“Really? This trophy of mine says otherwise.”

Sonic couldn’t stop his gasp as Infinite snapped his fingers, summoning an unconscious Amy caged in red energy. The girl woke up, quickly trying to break free.

“Sonic, help me!”  
“Let her go, Infinite!!” Sonic growled as he struggled, “If you want to keep your only eye left!!”  
“Now you’re getting it.” Sonic assumed Infinite smiled behind his mask, “You will suffer the same fate as this world, as me.”

The villain flew behind Amy, holding Sonic’s attention as he cut off one of the girl’s arms. She cried out in agony as the cage dissipated, leaving her kneeling before a screaming Sonic. Infinite only laughed as he held onto the dismembered limb, looking it over like a paintbrush.

“ _Amy!_ C’mon Amy, get up!!”  
“Sonic, I-“

Amy could only scream in agony as Infinite used more energy on her, changing the girl into a familiar creature of the night, and sending Sonic to a familiar core. Dark Gaia roared out as Infinite laughed, leaving Sonic on a slowly moving Gaia Colossus.

“Sonic…Now, Sonic…”  
“I-I’m on it!”

Sonic found his legs moving before his mind, pushing out the idea that this was an illusion. Chip struggled to hold back the god of night, fumbling in his grip; which left Sonic almost tumbling into the lava below. The Blue Blur quickly regained his footing, pushing the monster back as he did before. Dark Gaia didn’t take kindly to that, revealing its true form and reaching upward; creating a hole in the earth.

Familiar shouts shrank Sonic’s pupils further, focusing his vision to the captive in the creature’s arm: Tails. The fox shook and struggled to get free, being repaid with Dark Gaia’s grip tightening on him. Sonic let his anger-fueled adrenaline guide him, hastily summoning the Chaos Emeralds and flying to the monster in his Super form.

“Let him go, you googly-eyed freak!!”

Dark Gaia only responded by summoning a shield, making Sonic pound against it and the snake creatures that made it as he tried to assure Tails. The boy only screamed further in agony, his cries filling the hedgehog’s ears and driving out any other rational thought. Sonic couldn’t help but give himself a small cheer in his head as he flew towards Tails, only to sink further into terror as Dark Gaia charged his signature energy beam right at Tails.

“ _Stoooop!”_

Tails slowly turned around, tears consuming his eyes as he reached out a hand.

“Sonic, _help me!!”_  
“ _TAILS!!!”_

Dark Gaia unleashed the energy, consuming both Tails and Sonic in an agonizing burn of white.

* * *

“ _NOOO!!!”_

Sonic shot up in bed, feeling sweat rush down his face as his heart pounded. Moonlight poured in through a window, only appearing to Sonic as a way forward. The hedgehog quickly opened the window, jumping out and turning Super as he blazed through the sky and towards Assist Avenue.

He desperately searched around the town, seeing banners for each assistant. Knuckles and Tails’ familiar insignias finally came into view, Sonic slowly descending and looking through his window. The hedgehog breathed a shaky sigh of relief upon seeing Tails asleep, softly mumbling about some new invention.

Sonic slowly flew away, too tired to go faster and praying that no one saw this flight of panic. He carefully approached his open window, sending the Emeralds away as he landed and took in a breath. But it never came out, as Snake stood by the door, looking at a terrified hedgehog with melancholy eyes.

“Have you gotten any sleep tonight?”

The speedster couldn’t move, feeling shakes slightly come on as his exhaustion finally won out and drove him to his knees, tears slowly starting to fall as Snake slowly approached and kneeled before him.

“Do you wanna talk about it now?”

Sonic didn’t respond, the room’s silence only being broken by his subtle whimpers or a heavy breath from Snake.

“I’m not gonna force you into anything, but there’s a group of us who’ve also had…intense experiences in our worlds, a place where we can talk about our experiences and be heard, and understood. I think it’d do you some good to come. We’re holding a meeting tomorrow if you’d like to join us.”

Sonic slowly looked up, cracking Snake’s heart at just how tired and terrified he looked. The soldier slowly approached, giving his friend a light hug before getting up and heading out.

“You’re not alone, Sonic, and you don’t need to be.”

Snake slowly closed the door behind him, leaving Sonic alone to wipe his eyes and crawl back into bed. He knew that no more sleep would come tonight, but laying down felt like the only physical thing he could do as he pondered Snake’s offer.


	3. Others

Sonic couldn’t bother to hide his tiredness the next morning, but he was slightly grateful that Snake seemed to linger nearby; calmy waving away other curious Smashers. The soldier’s presence also made the Blue Blur more nervous, wrestling with his offer over and over in his head. The conflict consumed his thought process, only giving him enough energy to waste time by completing menial chores with Shulk.

The scientist looked over to his helper with curious eyes, but didn’t ask any questions. Sonic was grateful for the silence, allowing his mind to wander as they worked. They eventually finished the dishes, Shulk giving him a simple nod of gratitude as they split up to do their own things.

Time eventually crept up on the Mansion, painting the sky and halls in the orange light of sunset. Sonic gulped at the descending star, remembering his nightmare and what night brought during that adventure. A soft throat clearing snapped the hedgehog out of his stupor, turning around to see Snake standing by a wall.

“You coming to the meeting?”

Sonic quickly thought it over before nodding, slowly walking over to Snake with a low head. The soldier stayed silent as he escorted Sonic, feeling pity for the hedgehog’s nerves with his fumbling hands and slow steps. The duo eventually reached the end of a hallway as Snake opened a door, letting Sonic walk in first.

The hedgehog slowly looked up, finding himself surprised at the fighters in attendance. Wild Link and Joker were discussing new recipes they made as they set up spare chairs next to each other. Snake talked with Shulk, who was just putting down his own chair to help complete the circle. The scientist approached the hedgehog, giving him a small smile with an extended hand.

“Glad you could make it Sonic. We’re about to start.”  
The hedgehog gulped as the others took their seats within the circle.  
“Don’t worry,” Shulk confided, “Everyone was nervous at first. We’re confidential here.”

While Sonic was thankful for the words, his nerves only slightly changed as he took a seat alongside Pit and Wild Link, who shared simple nods as silence filled the room.

“Before we get to it,” Snake started, “I’d like to welcome Sonic to the meeting.”  
The Blue Blur shot his head up, looking at the others with a nervous smile and nod.  
“None of us are gonna make you say anything,” Pit assured. “I promise.”  
“T-thanks, man.”

“With that out of the way, how’d everyone’s week go?”  
“It went well.” Joker spoke up. “I got some new ideas for the café, and did pretty well in my matches…for the most part.”

A memory made itself known in Sonic’s mind. He had watched Joker’s fight against Zelda with great intrigue, only to be confused and worried at the boy’s performance. The Persona user was normally a force of nature on the battlefield, especially when he first arrived, but he suddenly stopped at a clear opening; giving Zelda the opportunity to knock him out and secure victory.

“I thought Zelda’s Final Smash was an attack from Yaldabaoth.” The boy released a deep sigh. “I nearly died fighting him with my friends, so going through something similar alone…wasn’t pretty.”  
“Gods can be pains in the ass, can’t they?” Shulk reassured his companion as he pulled out the Monado from his back, almost glaring at it.

“I had another nightmare three days ago. Zanza was fighting for control of my body, and won. My friends…couldn’t stop him.”

Sonic’s eyes widened as the Monado became encased in golden light, dissipating to reveal an ice-blue sword with complex weavings and the familiar hole the red blade had.

“Our powers aren’t normally limited at night since there aren’t matches, so summoning my Monado was rather easy when I awoke. I just wish I…” A shaky sigh escaped his mouth. “I just wish I hadn’t woken up Robin. I’m thankful he got my friends to help keep me from changing reality, but it was awkward the next day.”

“Friends can be a great help in reassuring us.” Snake subtly looked over to Sonic, “They can help us find our ground when we lose it. Thank you for sharing.” The soldier and scientist nodded to each other. “Does anyone else have anything they’d like to share?”

Sonic thought the awkward silence would loom over them, but it was broken surprisingly fast by Pit, telling of when he avoided Palutena for a day because a vision of her possessed by something called the Chaos Kin consumed him. The possession piece got Wild Link talking, telling of his experience with nausea after smelling something similar to the Malice that consumed his world and possessed the Divine Beasts, killing his fellow Champions.

“….like the world was gonna be consumed in darkness.”

Sonic shot up and refocused, drawing attention from the angel and hero beside him. Snake softly looked over as well.

“Do you have something to add, Sonic?”

The lump in the hedgehog’s throat refused to go away, almost consuming him.

“P…Poyo?”

Kirby’s soft voice brought Sonic back to reality, looking at him with sad eyes as he patted the Blue Blur’s knee and raising his arms. Sonic stayed still for a moment before hesitatingly lifting Kirby, turning him around to face the other attendees. The puffball patted Sonic’s hands, giving him soft reassurance as he took a shaky breath.

“I…I had, a nightmare, too. In my world, I fought a villain named Infinite who could change reality. He worked with Eggman, and I wasn’t ready for it. They…captured and…” trembles wracked through Sonic’s body, “tortured me, replaying fights over and over, with me always losing. Last night, it was D-Dark Gaia, the god of night for my world. I-It captured T-Tails, and I…”

Sonic squeezed Kirby, burying his face in the puffball’s head as tears spilled from his eyes.

“I c-couldn’t save him.”

The room stayed silent save for Sonic’s whimpers. Wild Link and Pit softly rubbed Sonic’s back as Kirby hugged the hedgehog’s hands with his own falling tears.

“N-none of my friends know, because I need to b-be strong for them. I a-always have been.”  
“Admitting your faults isn’t weak, Sonic.” Pit sympathized. “Lady Palutena, and even Pittoo, can help me through my stress because I told them about it.”  
“He’s right,” Link continued, “I don’t think any of us would be where we are now if we faced our worlds alone. Your friends have been there for you in the past, right?”

Sonic gave a slow nod, remembering when they had to fight Metal Sonic’s Metal Overlord form.

“Then they won’t stop supporting you now.”

“No one’s meant to go through life completely alone.” Snake spoke, “Even I have a support system, despite some assumptions from others. Your friends can help lift your burden, Sonic. And so can we.”

The other attendants gave determined nods, lifting Sonic’s heart as he wiped his tears and looked to Kirby, who gave a happy “Poyo!” before hugging him.

“Sometimes, our burdens consume us.” Snake stated, “and they’ll likely always be with us. But they don’t have to control our lives. It’s up to us to decide how we go about facing our demons, and how we live life with them.”

The attendees looked to each other, giving dedicated nods.

“Alright guys, thanks for coming, see you next week.”

Conversation returned to the room as everyone got up, some like Joker and Link leaving while Sonic stayed to help Shulk, Snake and Pit put away the chairs. The Blue Blur still noticed nerves course through his system, but was surprised at how much calmer and lighter he felt.

“Well, what do you think?” Snake asked as he lifted a chair.  
“I…certainly didn’t expect that.” The hedgehog softly smiled. “…It was nice.”  
“We’re glad you came, Sonic.” Shulk smiled.  
“If you ever need help, you can come to any of us!” Pit gave a peace sign with a grin.  
“Poyo poyo!” Kirby agreed, jumping onto Sonic’s head.  
“Thanks guys.”

The group finished putting away the chairs, exchanging final goodbyes before leaving. Sonic gave a fist bump to Kirby, who responded with glee before running to beat Pit to the dining hall as the dinner bell rang.

“Do you wanna eat with us?”  
Sonic briefly stopped at Shulk’s invitation, noticing that he and Snake were approaching.  
“Sure.”

The trio walked towards the dining hall, getting a laugh out of Shulk’s grumbling stomach. Sonic looked up to Snake.

“Thank you,” he spoke, “for inviting me here.”  
“Nice job being open, Sonic.” Snake gave a rare soft smile, “Will you join us next week?”  
“…Yeah, I think I will.”

Snake gave a small nod, allowing Sonic to embrace the peace that filled his heart. He could still feel fear in the back of his mind, but the Blue Blur now understood that he truly wasn’t alone; perhaps he never was. Sonic made a vow for himself to go to his friends tomorrow and tell them about his stress, feeling both nervous and hopeful that they’d listen.

But for now, dinner was calling, and Sonic would answer with great reverence as his fellow heroes joined him in laughter and comradery around the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this work! With school and life in general having been pretty stressful lately, it was kinda hard to get this one out. With that said, while I would normally have a release date of December 24th for the next story, this story may be my last one for the year. There's still a chance another story could come out, but I'd rather give you a potential heads-up than leave you guys in the dark. Let me know what you think in the comments, and have a good day!


End file.
